CANON EOS M6
Pricing and availability to be confirmed
If you are a shutterbug, you must be thinking: “Didn’t Canon just release an EOS M5 recently?”
Yes, Canon did. But now, it just added another mirrorless camera to its arsenal with the EOS M6.
Canon representatives said the M6 is not a successor of M5, but rather a separate product that co-exists with the M5.
At first glance, it looks like the M5. But the top of M6 is almost flat. That is because the M6 does not come with a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF). It also has a smaller 3-inch tiltable display compared with the M5’s 3.2-inch one.
Thus, the M6 is 18mm thinner and 37g lighter than the M5. Canon has an optional EVF to complement the M6 – the EVF-DC2, which is also compatible with Canon’s PowerShot G1 X Mark II and PowerShot G3 X.
Personally, I like this design better than the M5.
Otherwise, the EOS M6 is very much the same camera. It uses the same 24.2-megapixel APS-C image sensor, the same Digic 7 image processor and has the same image-sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 25,600 as well as top shooting speed of up to 9 frames per second.
CASIO EXILIM EX-FR100L
Pricing and availability to be confirmed
To target women consumers, Casio has launched an L (for ladies) version of its adventure camera FR100.
The FR100L is the exact same camera, with an LCD remote module and a camera module. Except the L now comes in two new colours – white and pink. For ladies who like pink, the pink model might just be your cup of tea.
But the other addition might be every lady’s favourite. The FR100L has the Long Legs shooting mode. Yes, you didn’t read it wrongly. Maybe the L also stands for legs.
Ladies who want their legs to look long and slender like the members of Girls’ Generation can choose this Long Legs mode. Tap on the Leg option – represented by a heel icon – and you find yourself having to choose between the Standing Long Legs and Sitting Long Legs.
When you choose either of them, the resulting window will show the areas when your feet and your face should be in the frame.
With the dual module setup of FR100L, you can place the camera module on the floor and use the LCD module to compose the photo – an ideal situation to make your legs look really long.
PENTAX KP
$1,799, available this month
A year after Pentax unveiled its flagship full-frame DSLR K-1, it has launched the KP.
It is the company’s flagship APS-C DSLR camera.
The KP packs a 24.3-megapixel image sensor without anti-aliasing filter for better resolution and image quality. It also boasts a staggering sensitivity setting of ISO 819,200, making it ideal of low-light photography.
During a brief hands-on, I found the build to be sturdy even though it is rather compact for a DSLR. The magnesium-alloy body is supposed to be resistant to water, fog, snow, sand and dust.
But what impressed me the most is the button layout. The KP has many buttons and dials that make changing of settings a breeze.
The most noticeable one has to be the vertically mounted front control dial, which stands out fromthe half-hidden front dial of many other DSLRs. I found this vertical dial to be more comfortable and intuitive to use than the common front one. Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?
Furthermore, the KP’s grip is interchangeable. All you need to do is to use a hexagonal key to unmount the grip and change to a new one.
There are three grips available. No excuses for saying the grip does not fit you.
PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-GH5
Pricing and availability to be confirmed
Panasonic’s highly acclaimed Lumix GH mirrorless camera series has been favoured by videographers and indie filmmakers because of its superb video output, compact size and affordable price.
Its fifth version, the GH5, will be available soon.
First announced in January, the GH5 promises real 4K video taken using the entire width of its 20-megapixel Micro Four Thirds image sensor. It can also shoot full high-definition videos at 180 frames per second (fps), with slow motion down to 7.5 times the normal speed.
It comes with dual SD card slots, so you can record more footage without having to swop cards. In addition, the GH5 comes with a built-in five-axis image stabiliser to reduce camera shake.
Other features include an autofocus (AF) point joystick, dual SD card slots and 9fps shooting speed.
During a brief hands-on at the Panasonic booth, I found the GH5 to be really lightweight when attached to the 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lens. Yet, its grip feels great to hold and gives you a good grasp of the camera.
The AF speed is quick and accurate during video recording, even under the dim artificial lighting at the exhibition hall.
This camera might fly off the shelves when it becomes available.
SIGMA 14MM F/1.8 DG HSM ART
Pricing and availability to be confirmed
Sigma has been making superb lenses in the past few years, like its 18-35mm f/1.8 and the recent 85mm f/1.8. This year, it has launched four new lenses. But the one that caught my eye is the 14mm f/1.8 Art lens.
Sigma claimed that it is the “world’s first and only f/1.8 ultra wide-angle lens”. I am not certain about the claim, but I do know it is really rare for a 14mm lens to have a large aperture of f/1.8.
The lens has nine rounded aperture blades and consists of 16 glass elements, three of which are made of low-dispersion glass and four are super low-dispersion glass for the reduction of chromatic aberration.
In addition, the lens has a large 80mm aspherical front element that is said to reduce distortion and flare, as well as deliver sharp edge-to-edge images.
With a minimum focus distance of 27cm, the lens can be used to shoot close-ups with a huge background. In addition, astrophotographers will love the ultra wide-angle and huge aperture.
It means they can capture the stars as they are in the sky, instead of the usual light trails.
Sourse: straitstimes.com